Brushing a Maltese

Maltese dogs grow a long white coat that resembles the texture of human hair. Additionally, this hair grows continually throughout the dog's life making it necessary to groom the coat often. Longer coats require more brushing than shorter coats. However, both coat types require regular grooming with the proper grooming tools. Additionally, it's important to know how to brush a Maltese coat to prevent breaking the coat off or irritating the skin.

  1. When to Brush

    • How often you brush your Maltese is also important in maintaining a show quality coat. The longer the coat the more often the coat requires brushing to remove mats and dirt. Long-coated Maltese should be brushed no less than once a day to prevent mats and tangles from reducing coat quality or causing ill health effects. However, if the coat is as short as a puppy cut it can be brushed a few times a week to maintain a glossy, smooth feel.

    Tools of the Trade

    • The grooming tools you select to brush your Maltese with are just as important in maintaining healthy a coat as the grooming itself. A clean comb frees both long and short coats of mats and cleans debris off the hair shaft. Once the coat reaches about three inches long, a pin brush is used to maintain a silky, clean coat texture. Using brushes not designed for long-coated dogs may damage the coat hair or fail to remove mats and dirt from the coat.

    How to Brush

    • Brushing a Maltese coat in the right direction is necessary to maintain the coat according to breed standards. The coat must be brushed in long, flat strokes that move in the same direction as the hair grows. Flipping your wrist at the finish of each stroke breaks off the tips of the hair strand that prevents the coat from growing long. As a result, maintaining a flat stroke from skin to coat tip is necessary for a healthy coat.

    Necessary Protection

    • Misting the coat with coat conditioner is necessary to prevent the coat from breaking off while being brushed. Adding a bit of coat oil to the conditioning bottle leaves a glossy shine on the coat. However, while conditioning sprays soften the coat they can also cause build up on the skin̵7;s surface. Coat conditioning sprays work best when they moisten the coat without saturating it. This prevents the oils from leaving the hair shaft to be deposited on the skin and causing skin irritations.